QLFC Season 7 Compilation
by kuroaiko2014
Summary: Multiple stories/pairing/updates every two weeks or so until the season ends.
1. Round One A Stubborn Character

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Round One  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3  
****Prompt: Write about a canonly stubborn character faced with insurmountable odds - ((I chose Severus Snape. Being a double-agent means you have to be stubborn enough to survive or fight for anything))  
****Additional Prompts: (Word) Insufferable, (Word) Expectations, (Word) Coincidence**

**Note: Manipulative!Dumbledore, Pre Harry Potter First Year**

**Betas: Aya, Trish**

**The Staff Meeting From Hell**

Severus paced up and down the open floor in his private potions lab. He clenched his fists tightly as he mentally cursed the Headmaster. "What can that man _possibly_ be thinking? Bringing a priceless artifact into the school, then forcing the professors to create a labyrinth of tasks to blockade the way—without making it too difficult for a first year to make it through the gauntlet?"

He snarled and turned on his heel. His robes flared around his ankles as he took three steps forward. He halted suddenly and frowned. "Maybe I can get Minerva and the others to help me convince Albus that his idea to house the Philosopher's Stone is an unbelievable, insufferable, and untenable breach in the Professor's Vow to keep the students safe. I refuse to lose my magic over Albus thinking he is the be-all, end-all in this institution."

* * *

Albus sat at his desk with a crafty smirk and a twinkle in his eyes. "Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts at last. It's time to see what our little savior is made of."

He leaned back in his chair and surveyed his office. His golden 'trinkets' were actually tied to the wards monitoring Potter's home...well, dwelling would be more precise. The wards showed that the boy was in relatively healthy form, if not particularly happy.

Fawkes balefully stared at the Headmaster. He turned his back to Albus and tucked his head under his wing. Hogwarts told Fawkes what the Headmaster was planning, and the phoenix wanted nothing to do with the mad plan.

* * *

Severus left his lab with a fiery purpose and a flurry of robes. If he could get Pomona on his side, Filius would fall in line and they could convince Minerva as a group to help them.

Severus came to a stop outside of Pomona's office and drew in a steadying breath before knocking on her door. "Pomona? Are you in?"

"Yes, yes. Come in, Severus. I'm just revising my lesson plans for the seventh year students. I have a few that might become Potion Masters or Herbologists, if I can get them to see the merit in my class… you could help by being nicer to them as well." She gave Severus a disappointed look.

Severus crossed his arms defensively. "If the dunderheads would read their assigned books and guides and understand that I'm stalking the room because I don't want to have a dead student on my hands, I would. I suspect someone changed my prescribed book list without my knowledge. Only the Ravenclaws of last year's intake of students started the year with _1001 Potions Ingredients and How to Properly Prepare Them_."

Severus sighed and flopped into his customary chair in Pomona's office before continuing. "Slytherin had them sent the first weekend because I sent letters to each of their parents right after the feast. Some of your lot had friendly upper years that let them borrow the book, but most had to send out for mail order and came to class for nearly a month without them. Ravenclaw keeps a stockpile of books in their library, and the Gryffindors didn't even attempt to get copies. Why Albus insists on pairing my most volatile students together in a class that can literally destroy the castle if the wrong thing happens…"

Pomona set down her quill. "What are you saying, Severus?"

"I'm saying I don't have enough time to go over the reactions with students not willing to expend the effort to get the proper materials. I think Albus is trying to sabotage the students and my career by taking my list and removing such an important item from the required reading. I'm saying that if things don't change, my perfect record of no limb or life lost is going to be destroyed. You know what he's bringing into the castle in just a few short weeks?"

"That man is a menace sometimes. Do you think Nicholas can't protect it on his own now?"

"He can! He's been doing it for over six _hundred_ years! There is absolutely no justifiable reason for Albus to have it brought here. You know as well as I do that it is no coincidence this is happening the year Harry Potter turns eleven. I think he's going to try to test the boy." Severus winced and sat forward, putting all his weight on his forearms braced on his knees. "You know what I had to do to be able to take this job, 'Mona. I can't let him test that child like some kind of lab rat."

Pomona sighed and leaned back. "I guess we should find Filius and get him on our side before we tackle the Scotswoman."

"No need," came a high voice from the doorway. Filius walked in and shook his head. "I heard and agree with everything you've discussed. Let's try to get Minerva to see reason before we head to the staff meeting."

"It's not really a staff meeting, you know," Pomona responded as the three left her office. "It's just us, Minerva, Quirinus, Albus, and Hagrid. I still don't understand that. Hagrid isn't even a teacher!"

Severus sneered, "No, but he does keep a wide range of dangerous creatures as pets. How much do you want to bet that Albus asks Hagrid to hand one over to guard the Stone?"

Filius choked and turned wide eyes on Severus. "Surely Albus wouldn't be so stupid as to allow a dangerous creature into the castle itself?!"

"You do realize that he allowed Hagrid to keep his preposterous pets in his _dorm_ while he was still a student? Albus was the Transfiguration teacher when Hagrid was a student," Severus snarled suddenly, "And that oaf can't keep a secret! He's going to be the reason the Potter boy gets in trouble this coming year, I just know it. He shouldn't be allowed in on any of the discussions about the Stone! He can't be obliviated nor bound by Vows."

Filius shuddered at the implications while Pomona just pursed her lips as she tried to think of some sort of solution to the Hagrid problem.

"Have you found any memory altering potion that can be adapted to work for a half-giant?"

"None so far, though I am experimenting with a possibility right now."

The three grew quiet as they reached the Transfiguration corridor and approached Minerva's office. They shared a look before Severus rapped on the door. "Minerva? Can I speak with you for a moment?"

The door opened silently. The three walked into Minerva's office with a slight hint of trepidation.

"Minnie?" Pomona asked, "Do you have a moment for us? We really need to discuss something with you."

"I knew Severus would come to try to speak with me, but having all three of you show up at once exceeds my expectations." Minerva used her wand to dry the ink on the envelope the bewitched quill finished writing on. She froze in horror as she looked at it. "I told him," she growled and stood up, slamming her hands flat on her desk. "I told him they were the _worst sort of Muggles_! But did he listen? Of course not! Albus 'knows-everything' Dumbledore had his own agenda to follow!"

"Minerva…?" Severus trailed off as he read the envelope. "_The Cupboard Under The Stairs_? What is going on here, Minerva! Albus said he was safe!" Severus hissed as he turned and started pacing in Minerva's office, muttering curses under his breath as the other two Heads tried to see what had Severus and Minerva in such a tizzy.

"Expectations aside, Minerva," Pomona finally spoke up, "We're coming to speak with you about the Stone, and the fact that it is too much to be a coincidence that the Boy-Who-Lived is starting his first year at the same time it shows up here."

"And discrepancies in the lists being sent out. We still have two months to send out amended book letters," Filius added with a knowing look in Severus' direction.

Minerva took a calming breath and sat down, pushing the terrible letter to the side. "At least now I know why the quill kept writing more letters to the boy. His family must be trying to keep him from reading them. Actually..." Minerva grabbed a list of names for the next batch of first years. "Why isn't he on my list for meet and greet explanations? I even speak with purebloods about their children, so why is he the one name not on _my_ list?"

"He'll probably send a sycophant of his to do the introductions, Minerva. Someone to sing his praises and debase the Slytherin name. We are, of course, the epitome of 'dark and evil' in the snake pit." Severus finally stopped pacing and dropped into an open seat.

"Maybe we can have him meet students from all houses when he goes to Diagon Alley? He should go on his birthday, right?" Filius injected as he reached for the plate of biscuits that Minerva kept on her desk under stasis.

"I'm not certain since I don't have him on my visit list," Minerva replied. "Putting Potter aside for a moment. What did you mean by book list discrepancies?"

"The _1001 Potions Ingredients _book_. _It's on my list every year, and every year, students scramble to come up with a copy. It's not being put on the book list."

Minerva frowned and grabbed Harry Potter's letter. She flipped it over and pulled out two sheets of parchment. The first she opened held the standard welcome letter. When she opened the second, she read the list out. When she reached the bottom, she was fuming. "He doesn't have the _Muggle-born-and-Raised Path of Success_ on his list, either. Something is seriously wrong here."

She and Filius started a discussion on the book lists to check for discrepancies in his book requests while Pomona tried to get Severus to calm down.

After another hour of hashing out battle tactics on Albus, the quartet resolutely headed toward the main event for the day—the Staff Meeting.

Minerva led the way, Filius a step behind and to her right. Severus and Pomona continued talking quietly as they brought up the rear.

As they neared the conference room, Severus held back and let the others go first. "You know he thinks I am reviled amongst the staff. Better for you three to provide a united front and, to seemingly out of nowhere, chime in that I actually agree with Minerva. Maybe we can get him to see reason that way."

The three nodded and walked into the room. Severus waited two minutes, then went in with his customary sneer.

"How nice of you to join us, Severus," Albus smiled at the dour professor.

"I was working a potion. You know how my experiments can be if not watched closely. I want to get as much research in between now and the start of the year as possible. I've only two months before," Severus gave an orchestrated shudder, "the students arrive."

"Now, Severus," Quirinus piped up. "The children aren't all that bad."

"You teach Muggle Studies and have never had the pleasure of a highly-charged room full of students that hate each other based solely on the color lining their robes and the patches on their chests. I have to—on several occasions each week—keep students from blatantly killing each other in front of me." Severus turned his dark gaze on Albus. "Maybe the Headmaster thinks it would be a good thing if all the Gryffindor and Slytherin students killed each other and left only the studious Ravenclaws and loyal Hufflepuffs to teach. I know _my_ job would be easier if Slytherin and Gryffindor were not paired together."

"Defence would be easier, too, Albus," Quirinus added, drawing a venom-filled look from Severus. "I know you think I can take on anything by changing my courses, but it is too much to expect me to go from a book course to a wanded course with rival classes."

Filius chimed in. "The only classes I trust Slytherins and Gryffindors in together are non-wanded subjects. You are only allowing the rivalry between these two Houses to grow stronger with your 'let children be children' approach."

"I've had more than one Gryffindor come to me in tears trying to get a betrothal overturned because of what the rivalry does to the students," Minerva added, "But that is a discussion for a full staff meeting. Let us get on with the real issue at hand. I _will not_ allow you to bring that artifact into this castle, Albus. It puts every single professor in jeopardy of breaking their Professor's Vows and endangers every life and unlife within these walls. I won't offer protections for it."

"Neither will I," declared Filius. "It goes against everything I stand for, and against Goblin Nature to endanger children. You knew this when you hired me. Why are you doing this now?"

"I refuse to be apart of this. Hogwarts is a school, not a safe. Let Nicholas keep his trinket and let us do our jobs!" Pomona slapped the table to punctuate her statement.

Albus eyed the three professors warily before Quirinus spoke, "It really isn't the brightest idea I've ever heard, Albus, but you hold my contract." Quirinus sat back with a frown on his face.

"Now, see here," Hagrid yelped from where he sat in the corner, "Headmaster is jus' tryin' to help 'is frien'. We should help 'im, too."

"Unfortunately, Hagrid," Snape stood and stared at the half-giant. "My esteemed colleagues are right in this instance. Albus is attempting to make every single professor and worker within this castle lose their magic." He turned a sneer on Albus. "I'm under more than just the Professor's Vow, and you want me to help set up a trial for Harry Potter that could get him killed. I refuse."

Albus stood angrily. "You refuse?"

Minerva stood and glared at the old man. "We all do. There is nothing you can do to convince us otherwise Albus. We are not going to follow through with this insane plan. Did you really think we would consider this to be a grand coincidence that the Stone and Harry Potter came to Hogwarts in the same year? We are not idiots."

Albus tilted his head to the side and gave a false smile. "Of course not. I had many expectations of how this conversation would play out. I wish it had been in my favor, but it seems half my staff is against me in this endeavor." He tapped the table and refreshments appeared. "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

Severus glanced suspiciously at the drinks before him. "My book lists are being altered. It has to stop. My students need the books I recommend to stop the horrible accidents occurring in my classroom."

Albus sat back and stared at the resident Potions Master. "I don't think it is necessary to make the students buy that book."

Minerva huffed, "And what about the Muggle-born guide book that is a standard requirement for any child not raised in the Magical World? Are you telling us that _my_ recommended book is unnecessary?"

Albus turned to Minerva with a raised eyebrow. "I don't need to justify myself to you, Minerva."

Severus slammed his hand down on the table, rattling the plates. "Yes, you do, Albus! You are putting us all at risk with this foolish endeavor with the Stone. You are purposely endangering every student that walks through the doors of this establishment by refusing to see that my books are for their safety. Do you have to be so _insufferably_ arrogant?"

Albus stood and brought his power to bear down on the gathered professors and Hagrid. "I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and what I say goes." He subtly palmed his wand and cast a silent broad spectrum compulsion charm at the room. "Let us eat something and calm down before someone says something they will regret."

Severus tried to fight the compulsion, but followed the others in eating a biscuit, and washing it down with the disgustingly sweet pumpkin juice in his goblet. He shook his head and looked around the room in confusion.

The other professors were doing the same when Albus drew their attention to him, "Thank you for your cooperation. I expect each of you to see me to apply your protections. Have a good evening." Albus swept from the room without waiting for a response.

Minerva and Severus exchanged a troubled look after Quirinus and Hagrid left the room. "Did we really agree to set protections in place? I could have sworn we all said we wouldn't…" Severus trailed off.

Filius frowned as he followed the other three Heads out of the room. "I remember talking about something, but it's slipping away as I try to remember. I think…" Filius eyes turned glassy before he blinked and his vision cleared. "I need to go revise my lesson plans." Filius left them behind.

"I know what he's saying makes sense, but I feel like it's—I should go check on Greenhouse Three." Pomona turned around and left.

Minerva frowned. "He's dosed us and we won't even remember it in a few minutes, Severus. Your shields are the best. You'll have to find a way for us to remember." Minerva sighed and rubbed her forehead. "We only have two months of summer left. I plan to go on holiday in a few days. I will be back before August." Minerva gave a short nod to Severus and took off towards her quarters.

Severus frowned deeply as he stalked towards his lab. The thoughts spun wildly in his head. He needed the comfort of his lab—and several uninterrupted hours—to try to restore his mind to what it should be. He knew that agreeing to work for Albus Dumbledore was going to come back and bite him.


	2. Round Two Working for Recognition

A/N  
Seventh Season, Round Two  
Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
Position: Chaser 3  
Prompt: Write about someone who's always been a leader (explicitly or otherwise) having to learn to follow someone else OR **write about a character(s) who's always been fawned on finding themselves having to work for recognition and acceptance**.  
Additional Prompts: (word) blazing, (colour) crimson [Scorpio], (word) zodiac

Betas: Aya

**Learning the Hard Way**

His earliest memories were of his fourth Yule celebration. His mother and father had gifted him with a beautiful crup puppy. His godfather, or Uncle Severus, had given him an illustrated book of potions ingredients. Draco's face was a picture of joy playing with his crup. The book, he read— technically, he just looked at the pictures—every night before bed for almost a month.

The subsequent years were always filled with happiness and love, even if it was behind the wards of their home and never in the public eye. The year he turned fourteen, however, everything came crashing down around him.

Of course, his parents and godfather still loved him. They tried to protect him from the horrors that the Dark Lord brought into their home. His mother tried so hard to keep him from having to take the Dark Mark. She didn't want to have to worry about losing everything and everyone she loved, but there was nothing she could do except beg her son's godfather to protect him using an Unbreakable Vow.

The following two years were full of atrocities against everyone, human and creature, magical and mundane. Draco still had his mother, but his father and godfather were constantly being given new missions. Draco was now always on high alert in his home, asking the elves to keep healing potions and salves on standby and waiting with his mother in their private wing. Voldemort had taken over nearly the entire manor, but he left their personal rooms and the portion of the manor they were located in alone. Draco and his mother had ordered the elves to remain invisible at all times and to avoid anyone not of the Malfoy main family.

Draco closed his eyes as another scream of agony was let loose in the ballroom where Voldemort had set up his court. "Please, Harry. Find a way. Don't let _him_ win."

* * *

Draco was terrified. Fiendfyre was blazing around him, the air thick with smoke and the creatures created by the spell. He screamed as the fire came ever closer to him. His eyes went wide with shock when he was suddenly hefted onto the broom in front of Harry Potter.

The two flew through the door that slammed shut behind them. Draco clenched his eyes shut as he heard Crabbe's scream abruptly cut off as he was consumed by the blazing fire that he had cast. Draco roughly dragged his sleeve across his eyes, trying to displace the tears pouring from them.

"Potter—" Draco coughed.

"Save it, Malfoy. I couldn't just let you die like that, but my broom couldn't hold more than two people. I'm sorry about Crabbe." With that, Harry left to rejoin the battle.

* * *

Draco's face was stony as he stared down at his mother and godfather. His mother looked like she was just sleeping, if he didn't look past her hips. Her legs had been brutally severed and no one had been able to cast a stoppering spell to keep her from bleeding out. The resulting damage had stained her robes crimson with blood. It made his stomach turn to see his loving mother had been treated so callously. His godfather had his throat ripped out. If Hermione Granger hadn't told him it was Nagini, he would have thought Greyback got to him.

His mother had been killed by the Death Eaters for her betrayal when they found out she asked Harry if Draco was still alive then lied about Harry's own survival to Voldemort's face. His godfather had been murdered by Nagini on Voldemort's orders.

Even his father hadn't escaped completely unscathed. He was missing his left arm and was sentenced to Azkaban for life. Draco had no one left to help him. No one to guide him. He was seventeen and completely alone in the world.

* * *

Two years later, Draco was cursing under his breath as he made his way to his desk in the Ministry.

Without access to the Malfoy fortunes, and after having nearly everything taken, including the manor (not that he considered that a big loss considering the horror house it became the last years he lived there were a nightmare), he had nearly nothing. He sold off what little he had left, that he could bear to part with. He rented a small one-bedroom flat and survived on what food he could afford at the local market using what he had earned from those sales.

He had also lost his betrothal contract with the Greengrass family when they found out about all of the fines levied against him.

Draco sighed heavily as he started going through the near mountainous pile of parchment in his inbox. He had worked his way up from errand boy to desk jockey in the Auror Department, hoping that he could eventually be seen as an Auror candidate. His eyes flicked enviously over to where Harry Potter stood giving basic instructions to new recruits before they entered the training simulation room. Draco frowned and turned back to his work. "I _will_ finish this today. I refuse to have even more work tomorrow for not completing it today."

He got busy sorting through the parchments, marking each as 'Standard Complaint', 'Needs Attention', and 'Immediate Action Required'. It took nearly four hours to go through all the paperwork and determine where and to whom each one needed to go. For the standard complaints, he sorted them by location and severity of the issue, then sent each one flying to the Aurors in charge of those divisions. The needs attention stack was much shorter and were all given to one Auror in charge of the Diagon Alley squad. Apparently, there had been a rash of petty thefts that seemed to be the work of the Zodiac Crew needed to be looked into. It was the fifth time that month that the Zodiac Crew had struck. They hit Hogsmeade just four days ago, and a small Wizarding village outside of Liverpool three days before that. Something needed to be done about the Zodiac Crew before they escalated into violence as well as theft.

There were two parchments that were under the immediate action heading and he stood to take those directly to the Head Auror. They were each for sightings of escaped Death Eaters. Draco knew that they would probably be handed off to Potter after he left the Head Auror's office, but he wanted to make sure the boss had eyes on the information first.

It was tedious as most sightings turned out to be false or cold trails with no new information, but that was his job now.

Draco sighed again. Tedious and annoying. Everything he _didn't_ want out of life.

* * *

Three more years had passed and Draco was feeling like he finally accomplished something worthwhile.

He had left the Ministry after the Head Auror told him he would never be approved for Auror Candidate Training and pursued a career in Mediwizardry using everything his mother and godfather had taught him before their untimely demises. He passed the bar faster than anyone else had ever done it and for once, he was happy.

He was a certified Mediwizard with a specialty in Pediatric Care. His main focus was Muggle-born children and making sure they were developing their cores at a good rate. His secondary focus was Squib children. Too many were being born without access to their magic. Many were allowed to stay within their families, however, some families still embraced the old ways. Luckily, it had become illegal to kill off Squib children, but it wasn't illegal to dump them in the Muggle world with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Draco had adopted two Squibs that were going to be cast out of their families. Helen, aged five, and Rory, aged three, were the light in his life, and he was hoping that with his studies and research, he might find a way to release their cores and allow them full range of their magic.

It was a long time coming but when Helen turned ten and Rory was eight, Draco made a breakthrough in his research and managed to unlock some of their powers. It wasn't enough to allow them to go to Hogwarts, but now they had enough inherent magic to be able to brew potions and use latent Herbology skills.

Draco threw the biggest party for his girls when Helen brewed her first potion and Rory was able to coax a flower to bloom out of season. He may not have his name to rely on because of who he used to be, but he was proud of what he had become when he no longer had a solid support system. He would always be thankful for the love his family had showered him with when he was young, and he would never forget the hardships he had gone through to get to where he is today: a father of two beautiful children, a stable career, and no one looking down on him for his last name and associations in the War.


	3. Round Three A Friend That Brings Peace

A/N  
Seventh Season, Round Three  
Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
Position: Chaser 3

Prompt: The Nati of Himachal Pradesh; write about a character who makes a friend that makes them peaceful (This can include feeling peaceful or curbing their violent tendencies).

Additional Prompts: (quote) "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt, (object) snow, (object) journal

Betas: Aya, Jet

**Bringing About Peace**

Harry's teeth chattered as he trudged through the snow with his hands pulled into the over-long sleeves of his jumper. He had tried to get back into Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, but the doors were locked and the hidden key was gone.

"Dudley probably took it," the nine-year-old grumbled as he tried to warm up. The sharp spike of rage he felt immediately gave way to desolation. He rubbed his arms then wrapped them around his middle with a wince.

Piers Polkiss had really gone all out on him yesterday. Harry knew his stomach had a big bruise from his belt to the middle of his chest. He shivered violently as he kicked his way through the snow. "Aunt Petunia doesn't like to leave me outside because I'm a freak, so why'd she leave me out today?"

His chore list had included shoveling the walkway and clearing out the shed in the backyard. Apparently, while Harry had been preoccupied with that second task, the Dursley family decided to leave for the day.

Harry furiously rubbed his eyes, trying to keep from crying. He knew from experience that crying in this sort of climate was sure to freeze his eyes shut.

He made it to the end of Privet Drive and for a moment entertained the thought of never coming back, his momentary rage from earlier making a minor reappearance. He shook his head regretfully and continued on his trek to the only place he knew he would have some relief from the weather.

"Miss Jemma might even give me hot chocolate if I promise to be really super careful," Harry said to himself as he walked along, digging furrows into the snow on the sidewalk with his dragging feet.

"Miss Katie said she would teach me some more, too!" Harry picked up the pace when the large library building came into view after walking for nearly twenty minutes. It was a testament to how far his Aunt Petunia spread rumors about him that no one came out to see if he was okay in this weather.

He shivered as he pulled the door open and was hit with a blast of warm air. Harry took in a deep breath, savoring the smell of the books and the feeling of welcome. He walked in and let the door close behind him.

"Miss Jemma? Miss Katie?" Harry called out softly, knowing that at least one of the ladies would come at his call.

He smiled widely when he was proved right a moment later.

"Goodness, Harry! What are you doing out in this snow? You should be at home in front of the fire!" Jemma gently chided Harry as she led him to her favourite reading nook. "You just sit here for a minute and warm up. I will be right back with some hot chocolate and a surprise."

Harry's eyes widened at the thought of a surprise. "Yes, Miss Jemma!" Harry chirped as he snuggled back into his chair.

Jemma gave him a fond smile even as she inwardly seethed as she added another tally to her anti-Dursley board in her mind.

Harry silently played with the frayed edge of his jumper as he waited for Miss Jemma to come back. He was so engrossed with the string he was pulling that he completely missed the new arrival to his corner. He yelped when he looked up and saw a bright-eyed girl sitting across from him.

"Who are you?"

Harry frowned. "You don't know?"

The girl shrugged. "I'm new here and no one wants to talk to me because I read too much."

Harry's head tilted to the right as he took in the girl's appearance. She had bright blue eyes and almost gold colored hair. She looked like she was Harry's age, so he took a chance that she was telling the truth about being new. "I'm Harry. My cousin doesn't let me have friends. He beats them up or bullies them away. You should probably stay away, too."

The girl took her own turn at frowning, "Bullies aren't to be tolerated." Her tone was so authoritative that he knew she was most likely repeating something her own parents had said.

"Maybe so, but I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me." Harry looked away and hoped for Miss Jemma to come back faster.

Harry twisted his fingers together as he waited for the girl to leave.

"My name is Susan, and I'm going to be your friend whether you like it or not," she declared loudly.

"Harry, dear?" Miss Jemma finally returned with the promised hot chocolate and a wrapped package.

"Miss Jemma!" Harry eagerly held his hands out for the hot treat but found himself holding the package instead. "What's this?"

"Looks like a Christmas present!" Susan said excitedly.

"Sue, your aunt said you have to be quieter here, remember?" Jemma chided softly.

Susan mimed zipping her mouth closed and turned to Harry.

Harry slowly peeled the paper apart and gasped when he saw the brand new journal in his lap. He opened the front cover and saw his name written in really pretty script. Underneath his name was a quote '_No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' _A swell of gratefulness nearly overwhelmed Harry as he ran his fingers reverently over the page.

Harry looked up at Jemma with shining eyes.

"It's true, Harry. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Don't let your family make you feel inferior when they are the ones lacking." Jemma ran her hand through Harry's unruly hair. "You are perfect the way you are."

Susan stifled a gasp when she read Harry's full name in the book. She quickly ran to her aunt and nearly dragged her over to where Harry and Jemma were speaking about what he could use the journal for, and how to hide it so his family didn't take it.

When Amelia saw the downtrodden child look up and flash startling green eyes at her, she almost fell to her knees.

"J-Jemma?" Amelia's voice was strangled as Susan hurried over to chatter excitedly at her, hopefully, new friend.

Jemma stood and moved to talk to Amelia in relative secrecy. "What's wrong, Ame?"

"That's him. The Boy-Who-Lived! What has his family _done_ to him?" Amelia fairly shook with rage.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. I'm not on with the whole wizarding news since I'm a Squib myself, so I didn't realize that my Harry is the one you were looking for." Jemma cast a love-filled look at the small nine-year-old as he tried to keep up with Susan's precocious ways.

Amelia pulled her monocle out of its specially designed pocket. She had many charms placed on it in order to read off different sets of information based on what she thought about. Using the monocle to look at Harry, she immediately started reading his health history. She nearly had a bout of uncontrolled accidental magic when she saw his magical core had been twisted to such a degree it threatened to make him an Obscurial.

Jemma turned back to Amelia. "Can you help him?"

Amelia nodded once, sharply. "I will do everything in my power to remove him from his current living conditions. The fact that Susan took an immediate liking to him, and his reticence to actually engage her just shows that he needs a better life. What that old man was thinking…" she trailed off in a bit of wonder as she saw Harry's face light up with happiness at something Susan said.

Harry's eyes widened and he giggled as Susan described changing her aunt's hair purple for a day. "I made my maths teacher's hair turn blue once. And I made myself get on the roof without climbing to get away from Dudley and his mean friends." Harry suddenly frowned. "I got in big trouble for those times though. I was locked in my cu— my room without supper…for several days. My family hates unnatural things," Harry trailed off in a whisper.

Susan planted her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "You don't have to deal with them anymore. My Auntie is gonna help you." Her statement brought the adults full attention on them as Harry smiled so brightly it nearly hurt.

"You promise?" Harry asked, holding out his pinky. He'd seen Dudley do this with his friends and they _never_ went back on pinky promises.

"I promise," Susan responded, linking her pinky with his and pumping their joined hands once.

The pure sense of ease that came over Harry at her promise made him sag bonelessly into his chair. Susan barely caught his journal before it fell to the floor.

Amelia looked on with a sense of righteousness. Dumbledore would have no idea what was coming for him. Susan, Amelia, and Jemma would keep Harry safe and happy, and Dumbledore would have no say in the matter whatsoever, starting with a set of adoption papers to allow Jemma to care for the boy she had come to love as her own.

Susan climbed unsteadily into the chair with Harry so they could both admire Harry's journal. Susan held it open as Harry ran his fingers over his name.

"I didn't know my name until I was five," he said suddenly, drawing a sharp gasp from the adults. "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon never said my name until they had to start sending me to school."

"But, how could they not tell you?" Amelia sat down in the chair across from the children.

"They called me boy…" Harry trailed off, unsure if he should continue. "Or freak."

Amelia flinched. "That's it. You aren't going back to them. Jemma, can you watch Susan while I go get the appropriate paperwork and a Ministry notary?"

Jemma nodded as she struggled to process what her favourite child had just stated as fact.

Amelia stormed out of the building and a moment later a sharp crack was heard.

The two kids snuggled down and waited for Amelia to return. Harry was finally feeling optimistic that he might have found a true friend. He finally felt a sense of calm that he knew he had not felt since he had come to live with the Dursleys as a toddler. He also watched Jemma from the corner of his eye thinking maybe, just maybe, he had found a real family, too—all thanks to a snowy day, a dedicated journal, and a golden-haired girl.


	4. Round Four Context Matters

**A/N**  
**Seventh Season, Round Four**  
**Team: Wigtown Wanderers**  
**Position: Chaser 3**  
**Prompt: "This is a peculiar theme." Spy**  
**Additional Prompts: [Word] Foregoing, [Creature] Hippogriff, [Quote] 'You two can show off to each other later. You're both very smart. Now shut up.' — Skyward, Brandon Sanderson**  
**Betas: Aya**

**Hippogriff For Your Thoughts?**

Harry planted his elbows on the table and clasped his hands over his ears to try to drown them out.

After Susan had her lesson with Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures, all she and Hermione would talk about was the difference in how their classes were conducted as if one way was better. He snorted softly to himself. He _did_ enjoy watching Malfoy get what was coming to him by being a jerk as usual. He was envious that the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw class got to actually learn about the creatures before being thrown headfirst in front of one.

However, the argument kept escalating, and it was all he could do to just bite his tongue and not say—

"Girls—girls! You're both pretty," Harry snapped as Hermione started to pitch her voice higher over Susan Bones' as they went at each other over the course materials.

"Excuse me?" Hermione screeched.

"What did you just say?" Susan's voice held a tone of outrage.

Harry rolled his eyes and slammed his copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters_ onto the dinner table. "What I meant was this: You two can show off to each other later. You're both very smart. Now shut up. I'm trying to study."

Susan huffed indignantly and stormed back to her own table.

Hermione arched an eyebrow, then shook her head when she realized that Harry wasn't going to speak anymore.

Harry idly stroked the spine of his book, slipped off the belt he used to keep it from attacking everything in sight, and flipped it open to the chapter on Hippogriffs since yesterday's class was still fresh in his mind. He knew Hagrid would have them working with more of the herd at their next lesson.

Ron had avoided the whole confrontation due to being stuck in the Hospital Wing still belching up slugs.

Hermione sat across from Harry with a speculative glint in her eye. She waited patiently, staring him down until finally, his head snapped up.

"What, Hermione? What do you want?" He ran a hand through his messy hair in frustration. He had just reached a paragraph detailing want not to do when in the presence of a Hippogriff foal, and there were three in the herd from what Hagrid had told him when he came back down to visit before dinner.

"This is a peculiar theme. Are you _really _studying at dinner?" Hermione started to fill her plate.

"_Yes_," was the succinct answer he gave her.

"You are actually foregoing dinner in favor of reading? I thought _I_ was the bookworm."

"Just because I'm not quite as smart as you, it doesn't mean that I'm not smart at all. I have to study so I can keep my grades at the level they need to be so I can get a job." Harry slammed his book closed and stood up abruptly.

Hermione's face scrunched up in confusion. "We're only Third Years, Harry. Why are you worrying about jobs now?"

"And now we have another peculiar theme. Why _aren't_ you worried about them? Have you looked into the history of the Ministry of Magic? No Muggle-born has ever been a Department Head. None have sat on the Wizengamot. And there is no way there has been a Muggle-born Minister. There hasn't even been a Half-blood Minister for Magic. Our options dwindle."

Hermione flinched. "None?"

"Absolutely zero. Susan was the one to point me in the right direction to find the information." Harry rolled his shoulders back, then sighed. "If you will excuse me, I will be foregoing eating in the Great Hall. The kitchen is quieter anyhow. Maybe I can get some actual studying in on Hippogriffs. We do have a test next Monday on them. _You_ should go have a civilized conversation with Susan. It could be very enlightening."

Harry grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder as he marched out of the Great Hall.

* * *

Harry was perched on the paddock fence and idly flipped through his textbook while keeping half of his attention on the Hippogriff herd at the other end of the paddock.

His gaze shifted to see Hermione stomping down the path with a thunderous scowl on her face. He sighed heavily and closed his book, looping his spare belt around it. "I don't want to deal with this," he mumbled under his breath.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled when she got close enough.

Harry closed his eyes and debated flinging himself at the herd instead of dealing with his friend. He groaned and flipped himself backwards to the outside of the paddock, landing on his back with a grunt. "Not _now_, Hermione."

"But—"

"No, Hermione. Discuss—and I do mean _discuss_—it with Susan and her aunt. Amelia Bones is in charge of the Magical Law Enforcement, and a member of the Wizengamut. She can help you understand things better than I, a barely thirteen-year-old wizard, can." Harry finally sat up and looked at Hermione in the eyes. "I am only able to tell you what I know. I'm not an expert by any means. I'm not even guaranteed any kind of job despite being the last Potter because I'm considered a Half-blood. Talk to Amelia. Class is about to start."

Harry stood up and brushed ineffectively at his robes. He shoved the textbook into his bag and moved to where the rest of their classmates had congregated around the gate of the paddock.

"Alrigh', class. Let's have a bit o' a quiz over the chapter," Hagrid's voice boomed over the class.

Harry answered as many questions as Hermione, causing her to glare at him ferociously, and Neville to quip at them both. "You two can show off to each other later. You're both very smart. Now shut up. I want to try to answer something, and the Slytherins look like they're gonna lynch you if they don't get their chance as well."

Harry just rolled his eyes as he realized that Neville had used the same line he had used on Hermione and Susan two days earlier. "Fine, Neville. Have your shot for House Points."

Neville grinned and raised his hand to answer the next question.


	5. Round Five Pocket Dimension

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Round Five  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3  
****Prompt: Write about the things that could happen inside a 'space pocket' where the inside is bigger from the outside.  
****Additional Prompts: [Emotion] Determination, [Dialogue] "Don't look at me, I didn't do it.", [Word] Sarcasm**

**Note: Book/Movie 7 timeframe**

**Betas: Aya, Jet**

**An (Un)Fortunate Event**

The first thing that registered was the ringing in his ears. The second was that, under that ringing, was Ron's voice cursing his very existence.

"Oh, _now_ he wakes up!" Ron griped as he paced around Harry's prone body.

"Yeah? What happened?" Harry responded, slowly pushing himself up into a seated position. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden bout of nausea that struck him.

Ron pinched the bridge of his nose, then spoke in a condescending tone of voice. "You touched the bloody globe after I _specifically_ stated 'Do not touch that. It's a magical artifact that can be very dangerous.' Then you just—_touched it like a bloody idiot while I brushed against you to reach something else!_ You got us trapped in here unless Mum figures out what happened!" Ron raged against the injustice of him being pulled along in another ill-timed adventure with Harry Potter.

Harry shrugged and finally made it to his feet. "Where are we?"

"We are inside the globe that I _told you not to touch!_ Hermione studied the spells around it to make her beaded purse, but she put limiting spells on that to make sure living creatures, human or otherwise, couldn't get trapped in it." Ron paced the length of the room they appeared to be in.

"It's very...old fashioned."

"Of course it is. Aunt Muriel gave it to Mum when she was a girl. Mum had protections in place over it then," he groaned as he flung himself into a chair. "It's been in the attic since before Bill was born, though, so the protections must have weakened."

Harry gave a half-shrug as he took his turn to pace around the room. "Any idea how long it will take your mum to realize we are not actually cleaning because we're trapped in a toy from her childhood?"

Ron snorted and responded with sarcasm and snark. "Maybe when she realizes we aren't down to set the table. Oh, wait. That's Ginny's job. She won't notice until she sees we aren't wolfing down half the table at dinner. It's only about noon now."

Harry flopped onto the flower-patterned couch and sighed heavily. "So we have at _least_ six hours before anyone comes looking for us."

Ron nodded and slid further down into his chair, his body slowly losing the rigid stance he'd started his epic rant with.

Harry's eyes suddenly took on a look of determination. "Maybe we can force our way out of here."

"Harry. Not everything can be solved by running headfirst into it. Haven't you learned anything from Hogwarts?"

Harry huffed and turned his back to Ron and pushed his head into the corner where the arm met the back of the couch. His muffled reply garnered no reaction from Ron. He just slowly made his way further down until he slid off the chair and splayed out over the floor. "Hermione would know how to fix it."

"Hermione isn't here," Harry sniped as he lifted his face from the cushion.

"That would be your fault, Harry. So, don't look at me, I didn't do it. For once, it was one hundred percent, _absolutely_ your fault without my interference." Ron sounded just a little smug at the fact that he had been the one to issue the warning and _not_ the one causing the problem.

"Whatever," Harry mocked back, "'_Don't look at me, I didn't do it._' You would have if you didn't know the history. You _were_ the one that decided to mess with the weird brains at the Ministry of Magic."

"I didn't mess with them! A spell hit the container and they _attacked_ me. Why are you being such a jerk?"

Harry shrugged and didn't answer. He decided if they were going to be stuck, he may as well get some sleep. Mrs. Weasley had been running everyone into the ground trying to get ready for Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Ron practiced some deep breathing techniques in an effort to meditate and keep himself calm.

It was only four hours later… (and several arguments, along with one wanded fight since apparently the Trace was nullified when in the globe) when they were forcefully ejected from the globe and back into the cluttered attic.

Harry snarled and snapped his wand out before realizing that it might not be in his best interest to start slinging spells when the Trace was still active on his wand.

"What were you two thinking? Messing with my Happy Home Holiday Orb?" Molly chided, a bit winded from the exertion required to make the orb expel the two teens _and_ reapplying the protection spells to it.

"Don't look at me, I didn't do it. I told Harry not to touch it, but he did it anyway. For once, I am not the one that did the thing."

"Uh-huh." Molly turned to face her surrogate son. "Rebuttals?"

"Nah. I did it. It was an accident, but it was me." Harry scuffed his shoe on the floor and looked up at her through his fringe. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Molly sighed. "You're forgiven. Now. You've been gone for almost seven hours real time. I know time passes slower in the orb, so you're off the hook for not getting the attic cleaned, but it better be ship-shape by tomorrow night. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the teens stated in unison.

Molly left after telling them to wash up for dinner.

Harry turned amused eyes on his best friend. "Think we can convince Hermione to join us in the orb tomorrow after we hide it in our room so your mum can't find us so quickly?"

Rom snorted. "She'd just want to use it to study."

"It's not a bad idea." That familiar gleam of determination crossed his features once more. "Maybe we should take it with us. We could see about altering the spells and use it to trap Trackers. Or we could use it to hide ourselves if we need to."

Ron nodded, his sarcasm from earlier falling away to leave the strategist in its place. "Let's get Hermione."


	6. Round Six Infidelity

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Round Six  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3**

**Prompt: Infidelity/False Infidelity. Write about an accusation of unfaithfulness in a relationship and the aftermath of this. (It's up to you whether the accusation is true or not)  
****Additional Prompts: (dialogue) "Are you really eating pizza in the middle of this?", (phrase) at a crossroads, (word) monster**

**Betas: Aya**

**Turning the Page**

There wasn't much Harry wouldn't forgive. The sight in front of him, however, was one that he refused to budge on.

His quiet, bitter voice caused the pair to freeze as they turned their attention to the doorway of the bedroom.

"I hope you realize that nothing you said could possibly be acceptable in this instance, Ginevra." Harry sneered at the man in his bed, "Dean, I thought you had your own fiancé. Perhaps Susan should be made aware of this situation?"

Dean forcefully pushed Ginny off of him and gathered his clothes in a hurry. "Don't tell Susan, Harry. Please, don't tell Susan."

Harry stared down at his one-time friend. "I won't if you tell her the second you get home. Susan works with me at the Ministry and I _will_ be speaking with her tomorrow when I call everyone to let them know the ceremony is being canceled."

Dean flinched and ran from the room naked. Ginny hadn't even moved from where she had been shoved away, half-covered by the sheet, and trembling minutely at the implications of Harry's previous statement.

"Get dressed, Ginevra. We need to go see your family." Harry turned away from her and left the room.

* * *

The sheer outrage that the Weasleys showed—not at Harry for canceling the bonding ceremony, but for Ginny's obvious infidelity with no remorse—was astounding.

Harry wasn't quite sure that the family would side with him, but apparently, he was just as important as any other member of the Weasley clan.

The twins were especially malicious in their questioning of Ginny to be sure that this was no spell or potion-induced event. In the end, both gave her a disgusted look and left her crying on the floor.

The entire event, from dragging her home to her family, to Harry leaving to go home alone, was nearly three hours.

He left Ginny with them and returned home to write up a statement to be released at the Daily Prophet immediately after they opened their doors. He fell into a dreamless sleep afterward.

* * *

The backlash from the statement released to the Prophet was mostly in his favor, not that he expected any different. The breaking of a bonding contract was not to be taken lightly. He even had the Malfoy and Parkinson families on his side after everything.

Not many people had read the third page where the engagement cancelation notice for the Bones-Thomas wedding was located. The Potter-Weasley dissolution was much greater news, even more so when paired with a statement saying that the Weasley family, sans Ginevra, stands beside Harry's decision.

Ginny just wasn't getting the picture though.

Harry wasn't particularly interested in anything Ginny had to say as he packed his bags.

"Harry!" Ginny scolded like he was a child. "You can't just leave me!"

"Watch me." Harry finally snapped his suitcase shut and with a glare turned to face his now ex-fiancé. "You slept with Dean Thomas. You slept with Dean Thomas on the night of our rehearsal dinner before our bonding. I feel that I have every right to break the bonding contract we set up since one of the stipulations was that both parties would be faithful. You couldn't even manage to be faithful until the bonding ceremony itself." Harry shook his head. "At least this time I'm not the one putting us at a crossroads in our relationship. It's all you this time."

Harry shrank the suitcase and shoved it unceremoniously into his pocket. "I'll be staying with a friend until I can come to terms that you are not the person I thought you were. Only a monster would do something so heinous just three days before their bonding ceremony with the person they claim to love."

Ginny takes in a stuttered breath as she starts to cry.

Harry just shrugged and walked past her. It was no longer his job to tell her she wasn't a bad person. The time for that had long passed, even if Harry hadn't noticed when it did.

* * *

Ginny had tried to start a smear campaign against Harry after his release to the press, but mostly everyone ignored her.

"She's kind of a monster right now," Hermione said when she flopped onto the couch next to Harry.

Harry shrugged and took another bite of his pizza as he read the latest attempt to get back at him. "It's not my problem anymore. You know that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and took on an affected imitation of Ginny's voice. "Are you really eating pizza in the middle of this? We are supposed to be together for always!"

Harry choked on his bite as he tried to laugh and eat at the same time. "Sounds just like her."

Hermione sneered at the paper. "It's true though. Nothing you do will be good enough unless it's marrying her."

"Not interested. Obviously." Harry set his food down and sighed heavily. "It's been six months and she's still attacking my character. How are you coming along in those libel laws you are trying to get pushed through the Wizengamot?"

Hermione gave a shark-like grin. "Your lawyer already has the new laws in hand and is awaiting your owl at your convenience."

Harry just shook his head ruefully. "I wish it didn't have to come to this."

"She isn't giving you much choice in the matter, Harry. You tried to be the better person. The whole Wizarding World knows you have, but she isn't backing down. Mr. Grimball says that your case is so rock solid that the Weasleys may even disown her to keep their relatively good standing and divorce themselves from her vitriol. The twins have already asked the Prewett side of their family if they could take that name and they've been approved."

"I know, I just—"

"It's not your fault that she has no concept of fidelity. You deserve better than her."

Hermione turned and took Harry's clenched fists into her hands. "You deserve better, and you are going to get it."

Harry gave her a watery smile before pulling his hands from hers and hugging her tightly. "Thank you for being here for me."

"Of course, I'm here for you, Harry. You're my best friend, and no one gets to make you feel bad."


	7. Round Seven Solve a Mystery

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Round Seven  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3  
****Prompt: Write about someone trying to solve something, figure something out, or understand something.  
****Additional Prompts: (word) enlighten, (dialogue) "I love it when someone insults me. It means I don't have to be nice anymore.", (object) picture frame**

**Note: Flashback, but not italicized because it makes my head hurt.**

**Betas: Jet, Bailey**

**Setting the Record Straight(ish)**

Dudley pouted with his arms crossed over his chest as Harry laughed his head off at the memory.

After enduring another ten minutes, he jerked to his feet and yelled, "It's not funny, Harry! Stop laughing at me! It's humiliating, is what it is," he trailed off. He crossed his arms once more, this time scowling down at his cousin.

Harry snorted and choked back a few more giggles. He had to resort to a Sobering Charm to compose himself. "You have to admit it's a little bit funny, Dud. I mean, you asked Ron if he was going steady with Luna! _My_ Luna!"

"Look at that picture and tell me they don't look like a couple! Enlighten me—how could that picture have been taken as anything else?" Dudley pointed at the picture in question. The frame was still cracked from when the whole ordeal happened because Harry hadn't felt like repairing it yet.

* * *

Two hours earlier, Dudley knocked on Harry's door for their bi-weekly get-together. Harry had begun inviting Ron and Hermione to the beer, fish and chips parties three months after they started to allow them to get to know Dudley as a person instead of continuing to see him as Harry's childhood tormentor.

Dudley sat on the couch to wait for the others to arrive when the moving picture caught his eye. He picked up the frame and stared at the picture impassively. A pretty blonde female was hanging off of Ron's arm as she laughed and smiled winningly at the camera. Ron grinned and ruffled her short hair.

Dudley frowned and went to set the frame down. "It's not my business who he dates," he mumbled under his breath.

He jolted when the front door slammed open and Ron stepped in—with the blonde by his side.

Dudley clenched his hand at this sight, cracking the glass and splintering the wooden frame.

Ron immediately turned his concerned blue gaze on Dudley. "You alright, mate?"

Dudley dropped the picture frame face down on the table and looked at his hand. "Yeah, fine."

"I'm gonna find Harry, Ron," the girl said before she ran off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Oh, okay," Ron called after her. He focused his gaze on Dudley once more. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said I'm fine," Dudley snapped. "She your girlfriend?"

Ron made a face, "Uh, no. That's not even in the realm of possibilities."

"Sure looked cozy to me, what with her hanging all over you in the pi—when you walked in." Dudley tried to correct himself.

Ron's gaze narrowed as he finally saw the frame Dudley damaged. "That isn't what you think it is, Dudley. I'm not dating Luna."

Dudley sniffed. "Not like it's my business to be nosing about in anyway…"

Ron clenched his jaw and counted backward from ten in Gaelic, then Latin, before responding, "Are you trying to make my temper flare?"

Dudley shrugged and turned to look at anything besides the man barely keeping his cool in the doorway.

"I love it when someone insults me. It means I don't have to be nice anymore," Ron growled as he stalked forward. "I don't _like _Luna like that! We are _not dating_! After all this time, you should get it!"

Hermione chose that moment to walk in. "What's going on in here?"

Ron drew back and glared at the hopeless Muggle. "A difference of opinions and false assumptions."

"Oh? On whose account?" Hermione leaned against the wall and eyed the two men.

"His!" Ron growled, hands fisted at his side as he tried to keep himself in check.

"Dudley?"

Dudley faced Hermione and gave a hopeless shrug. "I asked if he was dating...Luna, was it?"

Hermione snorted. "Uh, no. He's not. Because she's actually dating Harry. Ron just escorts her here because they work in the same building."

Dudley blinked rapidly and tilted his face toward Ron. "Why didn't you just say that?"

Ron exploded into a screaming rant. "I shouldn't have to explain anything! It should be bloody obvious with how Harry and Luna act together that they _are_ together! Luna is my sister's best friend and therefore like a sister to me! You are so stupid! Why can't you see that the only one I have feelings for is _you_, you great, big idiot!"

Ron suddenly stopped, then bolted from the room without giving Dudley a chance to answer Ron's accidental confession.

"Is that enlightening enough for you, Dudley?" Hermione asked as she pushed off the wall to leave the room. "Food for thought—you should definitely ask Harry for further clarification."

* * *

Dudley's expression was sour as he remembered the encounter with Ron.

"He likes you, Big D. You just gotta let him have a chance to cool off and come to terms with the fact he actually _told_ you without bringing you chocolates first."

"What?"

"Oh, yeah. He had a whole confession planned out. It took him almost a month to get up the courage to do it today, but you had to go opening your mouth and saying things that had no business being said." Harry shook his head sadly.

Dudley slumped back onto the couch. "My investigative skills need work, Harry. I didn't even see that he liked me, too."

Harry clapped his cousin on the shoulder. "Now you know, and you can preemptively strike with your own confession before he does the whole shebang." His eyes flashed with mischief. "You should flashmob him!"

Dudley snorted and shook his head, "I don't _even_ think so. Flashmobs are cliche. I don't want to be cliche. I want to be unique."

Harry flopped into his favorite armchair and slung his legs over the arm so he could watch his cousin plan and plot. "You could get him a dog."

"A dog," Dudley repeated flatly. "After the shining examples we had growing up with Marge's terrors?"

Harry winced. "Yeah, maybe not. No cats either. Or rats."

Dudley gave Harry a startled look. "Rats?"

"Magic thing." Harry waved his hand dismissively.

Dudley suddenly shot up in his seat and gave a triumphant grin. "I think I have a few ideas."


	8. Round Eight Ace of Swords

**A/N**

**Seventh Season, Round Eight**

**Team: Wigtown Wanderers**

**Position: Chaser 3**

**Prompt: Ace of Swords — Upright: Breakthrough, Clarity, Sharp Mind, -_Reversed: Confusion, Brutality, Chaos_-**

**Additional Prompts: [action] To spill something/knock something over, [season] Winter, [quote] "Once a future is foretold, that future becomes a living thing, and it will fight very hard to bring itself about" — Legendary, Stephanie Garber**

**Note: WARNING: Death/violence/insanity. 3rd year Ginny/4th year Harry**

**Betas: Aya**

**All It Takes**

Organized chaos. That is what her brothers would have called her path of destruction—if they had lived through the devastation she had wrought upon the school.

Ginevra Weasley gave a feral grin as her winter cloak dragged through the blood splattered snow. "They should have known better," she sneered as she walked back up to the castle doors.

Harry's unseeing eyes greeted her on the steps, with the twins flanking him. All three were missing limbs from where they had reached out to try to persuade her to stop her madness.

Ginny stepped over them and made her way into the castle as she shrugged her cloak off and left it in a bloody heap just inside the door.

She made her way to the Great Hall to see if there was anyone else that deserved her wrath. As she shoved the doors open, she left her back unguarded. That was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

Ginny shuddered as she was pulled into wakefulness. "What? Where am I?"

She jerked back when she realized her hands were shackled to the table in front of her and her legs were chained to her chair. "No no no. What is happening? Who are you people? Let me go!"

Ginny struggled with her bindings as she cast fearful looks around the room.

"You are in the interrogation center in the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry, Ginevra Weasley." Madame Bones slammed into the room with another Auror following her holding a recording crystal in his hand.

"I don't understand!" Ginny wailed as she tugged her hands again. "Why am I here? I should be in school!"

Madame Bones sat across the wide table from Ginny and crossed her arms. "What do you remember before waking up here?"

"I was in Potions Class. We were making Befuddlement Draught. I was going to test my potion, when Astoria Greengrass knocked over my cauldron. I was doused in my potion…" Ginny trailed off as she tried to remember anything else. "I think Adrian Grey threw something in my potion when Astoria knocked it over. Adrian said something really weird as he threw it. His eyes were kinda glazed over…"

Ginny looked down as she repeated what Adrian said softly, "He said "_Once a future is foretold, that future becomes a living thing, and it will fight very hard to bring itself about_," I don't know what he was talking about...and I don't remember anything else after that."

Madame Bones frowned and withdrew her wand to cast a Patronus. "Go find an Auror not already busy and tell them to check the Potions Classroom." Her lynx bounded off through the wall.

"Is there anything else you remember? Anything at all?"

Ginny pursed her lips and shook her head. "I really don't. When can I go back to school?"

The Auror and Madame Bones shared a look before the Auror spoke. "You won't be going back to school. You are most likely going to the Long-Term Spell and Potions Damage Ward at St. Mungos since we have no idea what caused you to…" he trailed off and looked at Madame Bones. Madame Bones gave a resigned nod. "We have no idea what caused you to go on a rampage and kill your classmates in cold blood."

Ginny choked and reared back in her chair. "_What_?! I _killed_ people? My classmates? My friends?"

The Auror sighed. "Not just regular classmates, Ginevra. Fred and George Wea—"

Ginny cut him off with a scream of despair. She collapsed onto the table, sobs wracking her frame as she tried to convince herself that this was all just a terrible nightmare.

"Ginevra. Do you want to know the names of all the deceased students and teachers?" Madame Bones pulled a tightly rolled scroll out of her robes.

Ginny sat up and shook her head. "I can't. Please, I can't."

Madame Bones gave a sharp nod and tucked the scroll away again.

"Is there anything we can get you before we continue to conduct our investigation?"

"No, ma'am." Ginny laid her head back down on the table.

"We will be back later. You will be under surveillance while we are gone."

Ginny didn't respond.

* * *

Madame Bones Apparated to Hogsmeade as soon as she reached the Apparition Point. She flinched at the carnage that led from Hogwarts gate all the way to the front steps. "Merlin," she swore, "How many students did she kill?"

Auror Tonks stepped up to her side as she shivered in the snow. "It looks like she killed approximately nine students outside, but the brutal efficiency she attacked them with, combined with the fact that three of those students were her siblings and one of them was...Harry Potter. She killed the Boy-Who-Lived, Madame Bones. She'll never be safe out in Wizarding Britain. Our best bet to keep her alive would be to send her to another country to hold for trial."

Auror Tonks shivered and wrapped her winter cloak tighter as she cast a Warming Charm on herself. "Besides the nine out here, it looks like she took out her entire Potions class, probably by dousing them all with boiling potions. That's another eighteen students. She got Snape too. Potions knife to the back of his neck. We found Filch, minus Mrs. Norris, in an alcove near the entrance."

Auror Tonks started walking towards the school with Madame Bones on her heels. "From what I see, all victims are either Slytherin or Gryffindor. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were in the upper levels of the school for their classes and Hogwarts herself shifted the staircases so that she couldn't harm anyone else. The older Gryffs and Snakes took to the Great Hall and barricaded the doors. A seventh year Hufflepuff called an elf and sent it to the Headmaster so he could try to contain the chaos and destruction in the castle. I guess they forgot that there was a fourth year Herbology class at this time."

Madame Bones cast a furtive look at the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. "How long until they bolt for their home countries?"

Tonks shook her head. Not long. Madame Maxime said she has a recording crystal that caught some of the brutal attack. She keeps them up around the carriage to dissuade males from coming near her students. She wants to get her students away and hopes that we'll be able to cancel the Tournament with no ill-effects on her Champion. Durmstrang says they saw and heard nothing and that they wish to depart as soon as possible so long as nothing happens to their Champion if they leave early."

Madame Bones growled under her breath. "This is all because of a potion gone wrong under Snape's eyes."

Tonks shrugged. "I'm fairly sure that every student and teacher, including Snape himself, has told the Headmaster that it is stupid to have Gryffs and Snakes in the same class, especially one that can be so dangerous. There's not much you can do to another in Divination besides spilling a cup of tea on your neighbor. Same for Astronomy. There are anti-fall spells woven into the tower so you can't even push a classmate in that class."

Madame Bones rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Where's Susan?"

"She was in her common room when the castle went into lockdown to keep the chaos to a minimum. She's still there and waiting for you."

"Small mercies," Madame Bones whispered. "Start calling in the parents. Hogwarts is closed until further notice. Go alphabetically, but start with the victims first. We need to let them know what happened. A lot of the dead students are heirs and their families need to know that they should get things in order."

Tonks glanced over her shoulder one more time, catching a glimpse of white-blonde hair and unseeing grey eyes. "The Malfoys are going to end Wizarding Britain when they find out their son is dead due to a Weasley."

Madame Bones frowned. "They aren't the only ones. The Greengrasses lost both daughters and Harry Potter is dead. Our entire country will riot."

"There's nothing we can do to mitigate this nightmare, is there?"

"N—" Madame Bones froze. "What time did this start?"

Tonks frowned as she thought back. "The alarm sounded and we were called in at nine a.m. It's two p.m. now. What are you thinking?"

Madame Bones spun on her heel and started back towards the gate at a run. "Tonks! If we hurry, there might still be _time_!"

Tonks eyes widened as she lengthened her stride to keep up. "Do you really think that'll work?"

"Only one way to know for sure. I know we gave a time turner to Hermione Granger last year, but she returned it. If I can get the Department of Mysteries to give me one for today, I can stop the potion from spilling on the Weasley girl and turning her into a mindless killer. Wish me luck."

Madame Bones twisted and vanished.

"Good luck," Tonks said softly as she looked back up the hill. "I hope you are able to stop this chaos before it begins."

* * *

"Once a future is foretold, that future becomes a living thing, and it will fight very hard to bring itself about… well, I refuse to allow this to be."

Madame Bones marched into the Department of Mysteries.


	9. Round Ten Kill Them Save Them

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Round Ten  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3**

**Prompt: Kill Them: Neville Longbottom  
****Additional Prompts: (word) impact, (setting) Astronomy Tower, (dialogue) "Have you been crying?"**

**Note: Year 7/Book 7. Warning: Murder, Violence**

**Betas: Aya**

**Bad News**

Neville glared out over the grounds of Hogwarts as he crushed the letter in his hands. His vantage point in the Astronomy Tower afforded him only steeled his resolve. He had already cried over the contents but didn't bother to wipe away the drying tear-tracks.

"They won't get away with it," he swore as he smoothed out the letter, revealing the Auror Office letterhead. He'd received the notice at breakfast and opted to head to the Astronomy Tower to read it instead of following the few students that still had the courage to take advantage of Hogsmeade weekends.

Most of the Gryffindors were in the infirmary anyway due to the lovingly bestowed punishments doled out like candy by the Carrow twins. Several Hufflepuffs had joined them, and there was only one Ravenclaw student in the infirmary. None of the Slytherins had been subjected to the new punishments.

Neville's eyes flashed as he reread the Auror report that stated his grandmother was no longer among the living, and his ancestral home had been burnt to the ground in a Death Eater raid. The report did state that his gran had managed to take out four Death Eaters before her heart gave out under the Cruciatus Curse. The report also stated that a raid had been conducted on St. Mungos and that his parents were both casualties, along with most of the Spell Damage Ward. His eyes once more started to fill as he imagined his gran taking on a squad of Death Eaters with no back-up. They spilled over as he thought about his defenseless parents being slaughtered in their beds. "I will avenge you, Gran. You and Mum and Dad."

He bit his lip and paced the open edge where he usually sat with Harry and Hermione for Astronomy class. His rage was fueled at the sight of a gaggle of Slytherin students laughingly chasing each other through the snow as they made their way back up to the school.

He hissed when he saw Malfoy on the grounds. He wasn't near any other students, but he wasn't being harassed like the pair of Hufflepuffs he saw running at full speed away from a crowd of jeering Slytherins. He was too high up to hear their words, but he knew they were taunting them about either their blood status or their friends that didn't come back to school for the year.

Neville leaned against the stone balustrade with his elbows, his hands hanging over into empty air. The sleeves of his robe were almost instantly soaked with the snow. "Hermione managed to get that last message out to the enchanted Galleons, but not all of us were able to heed the warning. '_Get out of Britain if you're a Muggle-born. Use Muggle modes of transportation. Stow all magical items. DO NOT USE YOUR WANDS_.' The _Prophet_ says they found the burned-out husk of the Creevey home, but that there was no sign of the family having been there at the time of the attack. Susan's aunt was murdered in Diagon Alley. At least Susan was at Hannah's house during the raid and after hearing of the attack, they and Hannah's parents left. I still don't know why the Weasley's didn't take off when they had the chance. Death Eaters and literally everyone else in the Wizarding World knows where the Burrow is. It's not safe there, and it's sure not safe for Ginny here."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Ginny's been in and out of the Infirmary since the second day of the school year. Luna has a dedicated bed as well. Hell, I have a dedicated bed, I was just smart enough to keep my head down this week."

His gaze zeroed in on Malfoy once again. "Seems funny how none of _them_ are subjected to the 'training exercises' the Carrows hold. You'd think they would at least want them to know how to cast the curses, even if they aren't subjected to them."

Neville roughly cleaned the snow from the balustrade and laid out the letter from the Auror Office on the flat, relatively clear, surface and read it once more, allowing his fear and anger come back to the forefront of his mind. He pushed back all of his ruminations over his friends, both here and missing, to remember why he came up here to begin with.

It was time to start evening the playing field, so to speak. He had called out one of the other seventh year students to begin a series of duels to take out the opposition. He had the support of his remaining friends to do so. He had planned meticulously to keep everything from the ever-watchful eyes of the hated Headmaster. Naville allowed himself to take a moment to imagine being the one to bring down Headmaster Snape, then got back to his deliberation over how to set things up.

Neville had, when he first arrived in the Astronomy Tower, set up the perimeters of the dueling area. He wanted nothing to go amiss… at least for him. He laid the groundwork, pushing his magic into the spells that would hide the Dark Magic that would no doubt be cast. He had no need of an overbearing Headmaster showing up to ruin his work.

He thought back to his first attempt and the botched spellwork that caused him to spend three weeks in the Infirmary. Neville tapped his hand against his thigh to verify his wand was still secured. No need to ever go through a repeat of _that_ performance, either. His chosen victim had had his friend hidden in an alcove where their duel was to take place. The friend summoned Nevile's wand, and Neville woke up two days later in the Infirmary.

He did have three successful duels where the losers were assumed to have gone home… Their bodies were buried in Greenhouse Four, with no one the wiser.

He was so focused on his contemplations of the past that he didn't hear the door to the observation deck open.

The last thing he heard before being blasted over the edge was the female Carrow's hideous laugh and a mocking voice calling out, "Have you been crying? Miss your mummy and daddy, do you? Or maybe it's the battle-ax granny he misses, hmm?"

He turned to face the intruders, but before he made it fully around, he heard the shouted curse, "_Bombarda!_"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for him. In the span of seconds, Neville pulled out his wand as he fell. He aimed it at his attacker. The twisted faces of both Carrows mockingly watched him fall to his death. He sneered and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Neville relished the shocked look on the male's face as his sister fell dead over the edge to follow Neville. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. The impact of two bodies hitting the grounds sent up waves of snow and blood. The Slytherins all stopped with their taunting and merrymaking when the spray of blood went into the air.

The two Hufflepuffs that had stayed outside shrieked and ran in the school screaming for a Professor, for anyone, to come outside.

Neville gave a weak gurgle, then stopped moving completely. Thus ended the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom.


	10. Quarter-finals Chaser 1 likes Humor

**A/N**  
**Seventh Season, Quarter-Finals**  
**Team: Wigtown Wanderers**  
**Position: Chaser 3**  
**Prompt: Write a story using your Chaser 1's genre/s from their first QL fic this season: Humor**  
**Additional Prompts: (quote) 'I'm not cocky, I'm rightfully confident.' — State of Sorrow, Melinda Salisbury, (colour) Dark Orange, (location) Honeydukes**  
**Note: Post-battle/next-gen**  
**Betas: Aya**

**Chocolate Daze**

In all honesty, he really should have seen it coming. It was obviously too much temptation to leave him alone the one time he actually made it down to the village for Hogsmeade weekend to see his kids.

It only took a split second to be covered head to toe in confectionary delights. Harry snarled as he glared at his now chocolate-covered robes. His once Auror red was now an ugly dark orange. He tilted his head to the ceiling and groaned. "Really?! This was my last set of non-damaged robes!"

A traumatized third-year witch just stared at him in abject horror before looking at her still sparking wand. "Uh, I—please don't arrest me, Mr. Potter!" she promptly burst into tears.

Harry sighed heavily. "Holster your wand in the store, kid." He patted her on the head and walked deeper into Honeydukes. He managed to magic off most of the mess as he walked, but some patches remained stubbornly nasty. He frowned at the dark orange splotches but kept his pace, occasionally grabbing things to purchase when he was ready to leave the store.

"Al? Lil? James?" Harry called out as he neared the side room.

Lily grinned at her dad as she waved him over to the newly added seating area in Honeydukes. They now served cakes and puddings along with hot drinks for less than the Three Broomsticks.

Albus was going over Arithmancy equations and sipping on his hot chocolate. Lily had been nibbling on a raspberry tart while they waited.

"Hello, Lily, Albus. Where's your brother?" Harry set his basket of goodies on the table.

Lily shrugged with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Albus sneered in the direction of the checkout counter. "He's attempting, once again, to get Lysander to give him his cousin's contact information. He doesn't realize _he's too cocky for someone that has no game_!" the last half of his sentence was shouted at his errant brother.

Harry turned his head and arched an eyebrow at the ridiculous display James was putting on. "James! I only have an hour."

James frowned and looked between Lysander and his family. "I'll have to get back to you, Sander."

Lysander grinned. "No problem. I gotta go find _my_ brother anyways."

James slipped the Honeydukes apron over his head as he called for his replacement. A short angry-faced girl took his place.

"Hey, Dad. Dweebs." James spun his chair around and sat in it backward.

"Still think you're a cocky idiot," Albus grumbled as he put his work away.

"I'm not cocky, I'm rightfully confident. Lysander will give me the information I'm after soon."

"Lysander isn't gonna tell you anything." Albus eyed his brother with disdain.

Lily piped up, "Honestly, you were that drunk that you didn't realize it was _him_ you were making out with at the party a month ago?"

Harry sat back and observed his oldest go from overconfident to shocked in less than three seconds. He snorted. "Please tell me it's just the fact you were drunk and not the fact that Lysander is biologically male that is making your brain short-circuit?"

James flushed and almost fell over, "But he was so—" James cut off and turned even darker. "I can't believe I didn't know."

Harry picked at the biggest section of dark orange on his robes as he shrugged. "Sometimes boys can be good kissers. Honestly, I don't see what the problem is."

Albus stared at his father calculatingly. "You kissed Scorp's dad."

"Among other things. It's not like it's a secret that I followed him around and vice versa." Harry shrugged. "I was a teenager."

Lily snorted. "That's so gross, Dad. Scorp could have been our brother!"

Harry made a face. "You know that male pregnancy is still something that hasn't been worked out. If anything, you all wouldn't exist if I had hooked up for real with Draco."

"Ugh, Dad. Gross. We don't want to hear about you hooking up with people!" Lily covered her face as she shuddered with laughter.

"Hey, don't blame me. Albus brought it up!"

Albus snorted. "It's a good thing we aren't related because Scorp is my boyfriend."

James looked at Albus in betrayal. "We can't _all_ be gay! Who's gonna carry on the family line?"

Lily grinned. "I have plenty of admirers, Jamie. The Potter name will live on. No worries."

Harry choked on his pie. He warily eyed his daughter. "But that'll happen _after_ school is done with."

Lily smirked. "I guess so."

Harry banged his head on the table, startling several people around them. "I am too young to be a grandfather, and your mother will kill you."

Harry banged his head on the table one more time before lifting his face to see three impish faces staring back at him. "What?"

Albus cracked first into loud gales of laughter. Lily followed as James just shook his head fondly. "You know if any of that information was even remotely true, we'd have at least owled you, right?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

"I'm not dating Scorp, Dad. We're just friends."

"I have zero boyfriends and zero intentions to get one."

"I did not go to any party and I certainly never made out with Lysander. I'd like to though," James added with a grin.

Lily smugly took a bite of her raspberry tart before speaking. "But that all pales to the fact that the school reporter totally caught you saying you kissed Mr. Malfoy. That's gonna be front page on the _Hogwarts Hearsay_. Aunt Hermione really should have thought it through before she allowed the student body to create their own newspaper."

Harry just slouched in his chair and crossed his arms. "You kids are a menace."

"At least we don't go chasing after Dark Lords with only one reliable spell!" Lily sing-songed as she stood. "I need to meet up with my study group. Love you, Dad. Later, bros."

Harry sighed. "Rotten, the lot of you."

James shrugged. "I'm going to find Lysander while I'm still on break. See you later, Dad. Til next Hogsmeade weekend, Albus."

Albus folded his hands in front of him as his other sibling left. "I'm pretty sure James is going to be asking Lysander on an official date. They've been dancing around each other for a year now. Lily has no interest in boys or girls, but she's only fifteen. I have a few people that sparked my interest, but none that I am with right now. You should prepare Mum for Lysander though. That's been a long time coming, but she's rather dense, like you." Albus stood and grabbed his bag. "If it's any consolation I'm pretty sure Brenda at the counter will give you a discount since you were attacked by flying confections as you walked in the door… which will also appear in the _Hogwarts Hearsay_, because the photographer for the paper got a picture of it right as it happened."

Harry snorted. "Of course she was. Right. I'm gonna buy these then get out of here before I turn into another sugar-coated mess." He grabbed his shopping basket. "This wasn't the plan for today."


	11. Semi-Final A Tale of Two Cities

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Semi-Finals  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3  
****Prompt: A Tale of Two Cities: A character makes a sacrifice to ensure someone's happiness.  
****Additional Prompts: (word) freedom, (object) potion vial, (word) futile**

**Note: Marauders Era(ish)**

**Beta: Aya**

**The Best of a Bad Situation**

The small parcel on the table was either a death knell or her saving grace. Eileen Snape née Prince only had to open it. Her hands trembled as she reached for her future.

Tobias had left to the local pub to get smashed an hour ago, and little Severus, at nine years of age, was already ensconced in his room for the night. Eileen closed her eyes as she fought back her tears. Tobias had left more bruises on her, and Severus had tried to intervene. He now sported a black eye and a renewed fear of his father.

Eileen knew that freedom would come at a heavy price. She slipped her finger under the seal and opened the parcel. Inside the small box was a letter and two glass vials. Her eyes widened in despair as she looked at the potions in front of her.

She set the potion vials aside and hurriedly unfolded the letter.

_Eileen,_

_ I can honestly say that we never expected to hear from you again. You __were_ _the one that told us not to contact you. You said you loved the Muggle, and that you were going to live as one to be with him. Your father tried to talk to you, as did I._

_ I tried to warn you that he wasn't all that he appeared. Legilimency is a trait that I am well-versed in and that man's head is __full_ _of vile, evil things. _

_ Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to assist you other than this letter and potions. If you choose to use one, you must use the other. It is the only way that I can legally help you, Eileen. The first potion, the dark green one, is a potion to permanently alter the drinker's visage and their genetics… _

_ As such, if you choose to take that potion, you would no longer be distinguishable as a member of House Prince. You will still be able to use your Magic, but your blood would be that of a newly discovered Muggle-born, or something close to that nature. No one would be able to scry and find Eileen Prince or Eileen Snape as you simply would cease to exist as that person._

_ The second potion is actually a poison. To Muggles, it simply mimics a human ailment that results in death. I believe it is similar to the Death Curse in that it stops the heart, but it is very different in that the drinker feels everything as they die. It is violent, but from what you've told me in your letter, it is nothing short of what that man deserves._

_ With the use of both potions, Severus loses both parents, but we would be able to bring him back into the fold of the Prince name. It isn't the best situation, Eileen, but it's what I can do for you._

_ If you do use what I've offered, please know that Severus will be cared for in our home. I never stopped loving you, even as you turned from us._

_Take care, and be sure of what you want,_

_Leonora Prince_

Eileen's tears finally spilled over as she reread the letter. If she took the assistance her mother sent… if she took that potion and poisoned her husband, her son would be free. He would have the protection of her family and _never_ be harmed like he has been in this house again.

She tilted her head back as she cried. She rubbed the tears away furiously, but they just kept coming. "Freedom for my Sev. Freedom for a boy that should have never been in this situation, to begin with."

She cleared away the evidence of her correspondence and went to bed. She wanted to make sure Severus was out of the house before she used the potions. No child should ever see death.

The next morning, Eileen sent Severus to the park after he ate breakfast. He hugged her and with a quick, "Love you, Mum," he was out the door.

Eileen sat at the dining table and waited for Tobias to come downstairs.

When he finally came down, he made straight for the coffee. Eileen carefully plated some eggs and bacon, and while Tobias' attention was diverted, she added the clear tasteless poison onto the plate as well. She slipped the potion vial in her pocket to rest against the one she already dumped into her cup.

She set the plate at Tobias' place setting and sat across from him. Her tea had her own potion in it. She was surprised when after only half of his breakfast was gone, Tobias let out a shout of pain. He flailed backward and fell to the floor. Eileen leisurely picked up her cup and walked around the table to look at Tobias' rapidly reddening face as he tried to breathe.

"Oh, dear. Are you in much pain, love? You do know that it is futile to attempt to… I guess not." Eileen stated loftily as she watched Tobias try again and again to grab her or sit up. She began to drink her own potion. "Don't worry. It won't last too long. I'm told that it will be excruciating while it does though." She could already feel her face changing. She idly glanced around the kitchen as she planned the rest of today.

Tobias finally choked out his last breath and lay still in death on the floor.

Eileen took the last of her potion and washed her cup thoroughly.

She left her wand hidden in her room and walked away from her old life. At the curb, she raised her wand hand in the air and called the Knight Bus. She needed to get a letter to her moth—to Leonora and let her know she needed to get her so—to get Severus.

She turned toward the park where her so—Severus was playing with a lovely little girl he had befriended. "Goodbye, my sweet boy. I hope you'll have a better life now than I could ever give you."

She boarded the bus. Her eyes closed as she fought down her panic at never being able to see her child again. She jolted out of her musings as the bus came to a halt in front of the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. She hurried into the rundown pub and asked Tom to open the gateway for her.

"I've broken my wand and need to see Ollivander for a new one," she said self-deprecatingly.

"It happens to the best of us," Tom replied as he opened the way for her.

"Thank you!"

She kept a brisk pace as she made her way to the Post Office. She rented an owl and sent off the letter she had written at home. Now her Severus would be safe so she had time to see to her own safety.

She walked down the Alley and watched as no one made any connection between the her of now and the girl that was a Potions prodigy that left it all behind for a Muggle.

She came to a stop in front of Ollivander's Wand Shop and had to take a moment before she walked in.

The building was, as always, covered in dust and cobwebs. "Mr. Ollivander?"

"One moment!"

An old man made his way to the front. "How can I help you?"

"I, uh, I need a new wand. I recently had… a big change in my life and now my old wand doesn't work."

"Name?" Ollivander sent his measuring tape at her with a flick of his wand.

"Ei—Irma. Irma Pince. I'm a librarian from Germany."

"Hmmm. Wand arm?"

"Left."

Ollivander's expression shifted minutely. "Not many lefties in England. Do you need a job?"

Her eyebrows lifted in confusion. "In a wand shop?"

"As a librarian. The one at Hogwarts is retiring after this school year. They'll need a replacement." Ollivander set five wand boxes on his counter, hoping that it wouldn't be a futile attempt to keep his shop in one piece. He had only just gotten everything back where it belongs, dust included, after the last newly-turned-eleven-years-old came through for his wands. He really didn't want to have to do it again today. "Feel these and see what fits."

Irma waved her hand over the boxes as she thought. "I don't exactly have a shining resume. I ran from Germany because of a conflict." She selected the fourth wand and gave it an experimental wave.

"The Headmaster won't care. The librarian now is leaving for retirement and he needs a replacement as soon as possible so they can learn from her." Ollivander nodded approvingly as the selected wand only gave a shower of silver sparks instead of blowing up his shop. "Here's his contact information. You can pay for the wand when you get the job."

Irma gaped at the man "I can't just take—"

"Goodbye, Eileen." Ollivander smiled softly at the gobsmacked woman. "I know you're good for it, and as Irma Pince the Librarian, you'll be able to keep an eye on your son. I won't tell anyone who you were. It's an unspoken rule among my clan."

Irma let out a sob and hugged the man before getting a hold of herself. "Thank you, Mr. Ollivander."

She had hope now, even if Severus would never know what really happened to her, and what she sacrificed for him. Thanks to her mother's intervention and Mr. Ollivander, she would still be able to watch over him, even if only from a distance.


	12. Final A Beastly Magic

**A/N  
****Seventh Season, Finals  
****Team: Wigtown Wanderers  
****Position: Chaser 3  
****Prompt: A Curse So Dark and Lonely; I used the main theme (twisted retelling of Beauty and the Beast)  
****Additional Prompts: (character) Neville Longbottom, (object) Wizarding Chess Set, (location) Shell Cottage**

**Note: AU because Hermione and Neville have non-canon careers**

**Beta: Bailey, Aya**

**Beastly Magic**

On Wednesdays, Hermione liked to stop by the St. Mungo's and visit the children with Dragon Pox. Though it wasn't dangerous, especially to adults, it _was _highly contagious, so the children had to be quarantined. Hermione liked to drop in and tell them stories to make their short-lived isolation a bit easier. On her way out, she got behind two older witches gossiping loudly. She did a good job of ignoring them until a familiar name punched through her consciousness.

"Did you hear what happened to the Longbottom boy last week?"

"Yeah, horrible innit? I reckon he's stuck like that."

"Probably. I've got a cousin who's a Mediwitch on the Dark Curses floor, and he was there when they brought him in. Said the healers don't know _what _it is, much less how to treat it."

"Such a shame."

As the women stepped into the Floo, Hermione froze. She hadn't seen him in six months, but it was still impossible to think about. Neville was hurt? Neville was _here_?

Straightening her shoulders, Hermione turned around and headed for the front desk.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger, but I can't release any information regarding Mr. Longbottom's condition or whereabouts."

Hermione fought the urge to stamp her foot. "Why not? Supposed patient confidentiality has never stopped St. Mungo's in the past."

"This is a _special _case." The receptionist grimaced. "We're not keen on causing hysteria or widespread panic over his status. If you have concerns and are close to the family, reach out to them. That's all I can say."

If Neville's condition was that serious, she needed to know more. She wouldn't get much information from Augusta, who she barely knew. Hermione's best bet for information was probably a master Curse-Breaker and frequent St. Mungo's consultant. Thank Merlin Bill Weasley was her best friend's brother.

She brought forth a memory of Shell Cottage's front gate and spun on her heel. She _had _to find a way to help her oldest friend.

* * *

Hermione took a deep breath of sea air and walked toward Shell Cottage's door. Before she could reach it, Bill met her outside.

"Hermione," he said, greeting her with a hug. "Haven't seen you in ages. How've you been? Still with the DoM?"

"I'm well, thanks. I'm still with the Department and loving it. How are Fleur and the girls?"

Bill carded a hand through his hair and chuckled uncomfortably. "They're all great. They're with Mum for a bit, probably the rest of the summer. I'd invite you in, but you've got rotten timing, Hermione. I've got..._unexpected_ company."

Hermione studied him for a moment then narrowed her eyes. "Let me guess. It has to do with Neville Longbottom and his mysterious illness?"

Bill blanched. "I—uh, you see—It's—"

"That's what I thought," Hermione said triumphantly. "I want to help."

"I'm not sure how you even know about it. No one's supposed to. Mostly because we don't know if there's anything anyone can do." Bill scrubbed a hand down his face, frustrated.

"But it can't hurt to try, right? Think of what an asset I could be. Besides, you know I can keep a secret."

Bill sagged against the doorframe. "Come on in, I'll put the kettle on."

* * *

"How did Neville wind up here? I expected to come here and squeeze you for information, not stumble upon everything. Granted, St. Mungo's was very tight-lipped about the whole ordeal."

Bill carefully stirred the sugar into his tea. "We need to start farther back, with what you already know. Years ago, Ron and the twins always said Neville was a bit slow and only cared about his plants, but the war changed him. He spent the year after you finished school studying up on everything he missed. He wanted to make sure no one ever had the power to become another Voldemort. Six years ago, Neville decided to get into curse-breaking and became my apprentice. When he finished two years later, he asked to be put on a different team, one focused solely on destroying anything Voldemort related."

"I don't like where this is headed."

"Last week Neville's team was helping to clear out a cache of dark objects belonging to some of the earliest families to support Voldemort. Neville was working on an enchanted vase with one of his younger team members when the other guy made a mistake and fell into the thrall of the vase. Neville knocked the kid out of the way, but he accidentally touched it."

Hermione rapidly tapped her fingers against her cup. "Okay, an enchanted item with a thrall. Not great. Belonged to an old, powerful family. Also not great. What happened next?"

"No one's really sure. The vase sent out a shockwave, and it knocked everyone out. When they came to, Neville was… Well, Neville was as he is now."

"Which is?"

Bill gulped down the last of his tea. "It's probably best if I show you."

Hermione followed him down the hall and came to the door of the room where Griphook stayed. She reached for the knob, but Bill grabbed her wrist.

"Just don't scream, okay? It upsets him."

With that, Bill slowly opened the door.

At first, Hermione thought that Bill had captured a large, dark brown bear and trapped him behind a shimmering shield. But as she looked closer, Hermione could make out a long sliver of pale hair that cut through the bear's left eye and down his chin, ending just above his heart. Hermione remembered seeing Neville right after the Battle of Hogwarts with a deep gash in the exact same place.

"Neville?" Hermione whispered, raising a hand as if to touch the near-invisible barrier.

The beast snarled gutturally, but it almost sounded like, "Go away!"

Hermione leapt back, clenching her hand in front of her mouth, and Bill quickly shut the door.

"How long has he been like this?" she asked.

"It wasn't like this, not at first," said Bill. "He looked like a bear, but he was talking and acting normally. His team rushed him to St. Mungo's, thinking the hospital could help him, but the Healers were afraid to try much and instead isolated him. Personally, I think they were afraid of _him_. The longer he was isolated, the more bear-like he became. The hospital decided they couldn't keep him, for the safety of the other patients. Augusta asked me to go to Longbottom Manor and set up a room for him there, but I'm not a Longbottom. I couldn't fully access its ward scheme. We grew quite close during his apprenticeship, and I couldn't stand the thought of Neville hurting his gran. So I sent Fluer and the girls to stay with my parents and brought him here."

Hermione gently patted his hand. "You're a good man, Bill Weasley."

"A fat lot of good that's done Neville so far," he said with a snort. "He's a little better than he was, but not by much."

She looked back mournfully at the door. "There's got to be something I can do for him."

Bill laughed and said, "Oh dear, I do believe Hermione's got a cause. Where are you going to start?"

"I just want to help my friend," she said with a huff. "And for your information, I planned to start by looking into the item he touched. What can you tell me about it?"

"Usually I'd be able to tell you a lot more, but the team leader has been pretty hush-hush about the whole thing. All I know is that the vase was probably a Black heirloom."

A smile bloomed across Hermione's face. "Then I know just the place to start."

* * *

Early the next morning, Hermione knocked on the door of Shell Cottage.

"Hermione, don't you have to work like the rest of us?" Bill asked sleepily.

"I had four months of vacation days saved up. I'm not working on a major project right now, so I sent Croaker an owl and let him know I'm on vacation for a while."

"Not one bit of that surprises me."

"But look at what I found!" Hermione chirped. "I went over to Grimmauld Place last night—"

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" he said, setting two teacups on the breakfast table. "What was it?"

"I was looking through some of the shadier grimoires and books on the family history when I came across this."

She spread a piece of parchment across the table. On it was a picture of a dark green vase with swirling black, red, and gold accents.

"From what I heard, that's pretty much what the thing looked like," Bill confirmed. "What did you find out about the curses?"

Hermione slid him the paragraphs that had accompanied the entry about the vase. "I'm sure you'll know more about it, but it seems to me Neville and his team got past the layered insanity curses, somehow bypassed some kind of blood ward—"

"Atwill's Solution, probably," Bill said absentmindedly.

"—and made it down to the final layer of protection. I'm hoping you'll read the description and come to a different conclusion about it than I did."

"...shall turn into a progressively bear-like creature...progression and regression of mindstate...condition can become irreversible...only an act of true, selfless love can completely break the curse," Bill finished reading. He scanned the page several more times and cursed. "Of course the Blacks would think of something so, so, so—"

"A solution most of them seemed incapable of finding," Hermione whispered. "I thought so too."

"So what do we do about it?"

"You're going to explain this to Madam Longbottom. I'm staying here with Neville."

Bill's eyes grew wide. "Hermione, you can't do that!"

"Do you think your wards are going to fail?"

"No, but—"

"Is there any real risk for me?"

"Ahh, no—"

"And human contact is supposed to help him?"

"Well, yes—"

"Then I'm staying."

Hermione marched back to Neville's makeshift cell and threw open the door. "Good morning, Neville!"

From where he lay on the bed, Neville growled at her and threw a pillow in her direction, which bounced right off the barrier.

"There's a small exchange slot on the floor," Bill said, pointing to an area of the shield that glowed a bit different from the rest. "Just tap it with your wand."

"Thanks, Bill."

As soon as he walked away, Hermione plopped down on the floor and said, "Come on, Nev. I know you miss having people to talk to. If I had to guess, it's been almost a week since anyone talked to you normally."

The bear looked up from the bed and nodded.

"Well, you're still Neville to me, so that's exactly how I'm going to treat you. And I find it quite rude that you're basically ignoring me. Is that any way to treat a visitor?"

With a grumbling noise, Neville crawled out of bed and lumbered over to the barrier.

"And are you going to stare down at me, or are you going to sit?"

Although he growled a little, Neville lowered himself to the floor.

There was a long moment of awkward silence as Hermione tried to figure out how to have a conversation with someone who couldn't really talk back. She could feel Neville growing frustrated with the tension when a brilliant idea hit her. She rummaged through her favorite beaded handbag for a moment and eventually pulled out a battered wizarding chess set.

"Do you like chess at all?"

The bear perked up a little and made a so-so motion.

"Well, I'm rubbish at it, and you'll probably beat me every time, but I'm up for a few games if you are."

She set up the pieces and thought for a moment about her first move. Finally, she moved a pawn and passed the entire chess set through the exchange slot. She held her breath as the bear examined the board and then, with two claws, daintily moved one of its own pawns before passing the set back through. They played a few more moments before Hermione broke the silence again.

"Do you realize we haven't seen each other in six months? I feel bad for losing touch with you."

The bear made what she swore sounded like a noncommittal noise.

"I know work was crazy for us both, but that's really no excuse. Do you mind if I talk a little and catch you up on what's been going on with me? When we get this sorted, I promise to sit and listen to you do the same thing."

The bear grunted once and shoved the board back toward her.

She made her move. "I'm assuming that means okay?"

Neville passed the board back to her and grunted twice.

After studying the game for a moment, she snorted. "I guess that was actually bear-speak for 'check' and 'checkmate.'"

Neville guffawed, and Hermione laughed too as she reset the board. They played several more games, Hermione updating him on every facet of her life. When Hermione's growling stomach drowned out Neville's "checkmate" grunt, she left to go pick up lunch from the Leaky Cauldron. It was funny watching Neville's paws try to handle a spoon, but they compromised and both drank their beef stew straight from the bowl. The rest of the day was great fun, and Bill returned from work to find them both sprawled on the floor, laughing at one of Hermione's terrible jokes.

"Guess I don't have to ask how your day went?"

"We had a great day, didn't we, Nev?" Hermione asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yes!"

Both Bill and Hermione's eyes snapped to Neville.

"Neville? Can you speak?"

"I. Think. So."

The voice was gravelly and wild, but after a few more questions, they realized Neville was able to speak in short sentences.

"Today has been a complete success!" Hermione said. "If we keep this up, we'll have you back to almost human in no time!"

"Augusta's working on the fully human part," Bill added.

"Love? How?" Neville asked.

"She just said to expect some visitors this week."

* * *

The next day, Hermione and Neville were halfway through a chess match when there was a knock at the door.

"Guess your gran's guests have arrived."

Hermione opened the door to see Susan Bones.

"Hey, Susan!"

"Hermione! It's been too long."

"Are you here to see Neville?"

Susan followed her into the house. "Yes, Madam Longbottom said he was finally ready to start talking about betrothals. I know you're not into the whole traditional pureblood thing, but I appreciate that you're using your legal knowledge to help Neville navigate the betrothal process."

Hermione wondered what lies Madam Longbottom fed this girl to get her here, but she played along. "Yeah, it's a difficult situation for him. When did you last see Neville?"

"Oh, only a few months ago. We got along great, like always."

With her hand on the knob, Hermione said, "Well, just know he looks a little different now, but underneath it all, he's still the same Neville."

Susan laughed. "I'm sure it's...Merlin's saggy left—"

The redhead hit the floor with a thud.

Hermione and Neville exchanged a glance.

"Well," he said, "Went as well as I expected."

Hermione chuckled, levitating the girl down the hall and onto the couch. She returned to the game, and five minutes later they heard a shriek and a slamming door.

"Wonder how many she'll send?"

"Gran's relentless. It'll be fun."

* * *

For Hermione and Neville, the next two weeks passed in a blur of takeout, chess, and a ridiculous number of suitors. Some they knew, and some they assumed Augusta had dredged up from her many contacts in the wizarding world. Eventually, they formulated a system to rank how well girls handled seeing Neville's bear form. Surprisingly, the highest scorer was Daphne Greengrass, who actually squeaked out a few sentences before fleeing when the bear talked back.

Through it all, Neville grew progressively more human. After a week and a half, he could speak normally, and his claws had basically disappeared. But, in the end, that was it. They were both dismayed he'd gotten as close to human as possible, barring an act of true love. It was a major source of tension for the two, and after a fortnight of constant companionship, it all came to a head.

"I just wish there was more I could do," Hermione moaned. "I hate that I can't get you any further."

Neville snorted. "You've spent every waking minute with me for two weeks. That's more than anyone has done. I'm should feel bad about disrupting your life."

"It's still not enough, though."

"It is. You've _got _to go back to work."

"Why? Don't you want me here?"

"Of course! But what about your career! All that work to get where you are!"

Hermione stamped her foot. "I'm telling you, I don't care about my career at a time like this! I'm staying here with you!"

A swirl of golden light filled the room, followed by a small shockwave that knocked them both to the ground. When she sat up, Hermione saw Neville. _Human _Neville. She ran over and pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're _you_. But how?" she murmured.

Neville shrugged. "The book said I needed an act of true and selfless love, but you don't _love _me, right? We're just friends. "

It was like someone flipped a light switch. Hermione smiled up at him and shook her head. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Of course, I love you, Nev. I already said you're my oldest friend. I was willing to put my career, which has been my life, on hold until you were cured. Love doesn't always have to be kissing, sex, or marriage. Love is caring, sacrifice, _friendship_. The ancient Greeks actually had a word, _philia_, which means—"

"I get it, Hermione," Neville interrupted with a playful laugh. "I love you, too."


End file.
